Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:8-9 (ESV)

Have you ever been totally overwhelmed by joy? You’re so blown away by who God is or by something He’s done that you can’t even speak or maybe all you can do is speak!

Peter’s commendation to the believers he referred to as “aliens scattered throughout” is a beautiful description of one who has embraced Jesus Christ wholeheartedly. The one who loves Jesus has been foreknown by God and is in the process of being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. He/she is also seeking to obey Jesus and is symbolically sprinkled by His blood.

This isn’t the first mention of being sprinkled by His blood. There is a sprinkling of blood on the altar and on the people when Moses presented the Israelites with God’s Law. The repeatedly exclaimed, “All that He has said, we will do;” however, they didn’t. They couldn’t. Apart from the righteousness of Christ being imputed to us by faith and our having the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, man has no hope of doing what God has said to do.

He has given us an inheritance that will not fade away but is reserved for us in heaven. It has your name on it! Even though various trials may be distressing and disturbing, our faith is demonstrated and proven when we hang in there and continue to believe God and obey His Word. In all of this we find our joy. `Apart from Jesus coming, living, dying and being resurrected exactly as He did, we would have no hope to be reconciled to God. So, precious one, even though we don’t see Jesus right now with our physical eyes, we can see Him with eyes of faith and know for absolute certainty that He will come again and receive us unto Himself. And that, dear one, is grounds for rejoicing greatly!

Living It Out -1 Peter 1:7 states that our faith is more precious than gold. Think through some things that your faith outweighs. Be honest and ask God to help you put every last thing in your life on the altar.